Ethical Dilemmas Faced by Women as Caregivers of Frail Elders: A Qualitative Study

Women face a myriad of ongoing and complex ethical dilemmas in caring for a frail elder (Bopp & Coleson, 1996). An ethical dilemma can be defined as a conflict in which the caregiver must make a choice “between two or more relevant, but contradictory ethical directives, or when every alternative results in an undesirable outcome for one or more persons” (Loewenberg, Dolgoff & Harrington, 2000, p. 9). An example of an ethical dilemma highlights the complexity of decision making for caregivers. A spousal caregiver struggled to care for herself and also provide care for the frail elder. The frail elder was at risk for falling, had cognitive deficits and was getting out of bed at night to climb downstairs to a basement shop. The caregiver did not want to restrict the frail elder’s freedom, but after conversations with family, she decided to put a lock on their bedroom door to keep the frail elder from harming himself. The caregiver acted out of values of self-care and the care and safety of the frail elder. By putting the lock on the bedroom door, she was able to get some needed sleep, thereby taking care of herself and at the same time providing for the safety of the frail elder.